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Show 1 May 24, 2001 Operation Stand Down benefits homeless veterans by Gary Boyle Hilltop Times L 11 : Community and Hill AFB volunteers banded together Saturday to reach out to approximately 300 veterans in need, many of who are homeless. Operation Stand Down provided aid and information on Veteran Administration benefits to those who served the nation. The program was begun in 1988 by Vietnam veterans in San Diego and was adopted by the Disabled American Veterans as its Homeless Veterans initiative coming to Utah in 1995. Since then numbers of agencies involved has grown along with volunteer com- flfek. mitment. "We wanted to help out the veterans in Utah, because it seemed there wasn't anything for homeless or disabled veterans locally," said Senior Master Sgt. Bernhard Thompson of the Beehive Chapter of the Noncommissioned Officer's Association who helped organize Hill volunteers for Saturday's operation. "We let anyone from Hill come along to help out We were there all day cooking, serving and just providing a safe place for them to be." Photos by Senior Master Sgt Bemnard Thompson Staff Colin Sergeants Campbell and RasheBe Taylor, Master Sgt Charles Jonas and Debra Jones, above, serve up hot food to hungry patrons during Operation Stand Down in Pioneer Park. "Clarence," toft, a war veteran, shares stories with Airmen First Class Thomas Artta, Jesse Heiiigs, Anna Kaminski, and Tech. Sgt Melissa Sawyer in the shade of an information tent i LP staff iTfl The operation fed anybody who came hungry. Volunteers signed up veterans for programs and to find out where they were living in order to provide future information on benefits and programs. In October the NCOA will again work with the Disabled American Veterans to put on a two-da-y operation. According to DAV chairperson Helen Willie, full medical exams, phones, vocational rehabilitation, counseling, and employment opportunities will be offered. Often in such an operation, tents and cots are provided giving homeless veterans a safe dry place to sleep for the night. The purpose of these events is to veterans livhelp our 450,000-500,00on of America. the Our streets ing goal is to help break them out of the cycle of poverty and isolation and get back to a life of hope and We try to get them back into VA the system where we offer them a hands up not a hand out," Willie said. "A certain camaraderie forms between them and our volunteers from Hill, the National Guard, and Reserve Army and Marine units. It's great to see and feel what we've accomplished, the resources we've gathered and the many other states that have joined to support the DAV's Stand Down." For more information about the DAV 1 call and for information about the NCOA call Senior Master Sgt. John Olive at Ext. 0 self-sufficienc- y. 262-309- Family fairs U , , . t Photos by Mary Galbraith Base personnel and their families participated in a Spouses' Fair and Health and Wellness Expo last week. Fitness director Karen Wright said about 500 people spent part of May 16 at the Hess Fitness Center's expo. Water bottles, above, and wallets designed to hang around an exerciser's neck to store valuables were given to participants., There were also drawings for more than 60 prizes, Including $200 gift certificates, vendor certificates, a year's supply of nutrition drinks, gym bags and Wright said evaluation sheets filled out by participants were very positive. Spouses had a chance to learn about a variety of base organizations at the Officers' Club. About 200 spouses and base personnel toured booths. Family Support Center Director Judy Maughan said spouses has a lot of posftA 'comments on the variety of information provided. The free Cholesterol Check, above right, at the Spouses' Fair was popular with spouses and base workers. More than 75 individuals checked their cholesterol. Therapeutix Massage Center therapist Andrea Montag, at right, was one of the vendors providing free massages at the Hill AFB Health and Wellness Expo. The massage center will open another office in the Hess Fitness Center specializing in sport massage. COPY 1 1 - ...Y, ... ... ; IS .! '.'Sv. - " n "ii ij "ym "it. in mn.m 1 |